- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Resource guarding is a natural and fairly common dog behavior. Some dogs simply have a stronger instinct to guard things, while others may have learned this behavior from negative experiences, such as not having access to enough food.
Though resource guarding isn’t always a problem, it can sometimes pose a risk to your safety. If your dog finds something they shouldn’t eat, explains Steffi Trott, owner and founder of SpiritDog Training, you need to know you can take it away from them right away without worrying they may snap or bite you.
If your dog guards their food, treats, and treasured toys, don’t despair! You can address this behavior with patience and positive reinforcement. Read on to learn more about the early signs of resource guarding, what causes this behavior, and how to handle it.
Signs Your Dog Is Resource Guarding
You can often recognize signs of resource guarding in your dog’s body language and behavior. When someone approaches your dog’s resource or treasured item, they may:
- Lean over the resource
- Tense up or freeze—their body may suddenly stiffen, while their eyes stare into the middle distance
- Eat faster if guarding their food
- Watch you from the corner of their eye, showing the white of their eye (this is called “whale eye“)
- Grab the item and turn away, move to a new spot, or hide behind or under something
- Snarl, growl, or show their teeth
- Bark
- Lunge
- Snap at the air
- Bite
Resource guarding or playing?
If you’re not sure if your dog is resource guarding or playing a game like keepaway, Trott recommends observing their general body language for clues.
- “Games of keepaway will usually involve loose body language and our dogs acting ‘goofy,’” she says. For instance, they may get the zoomies before stopping to let you catch them, play bowing, and then running away again.
- On the other hand, a dog possessively guarding a specific resource will likely have a very stiff, tense posture. They won’t stick around to play with you. Instead, they’ll hide or find a safe space where they can settle down with their prize.
Why Do Dogs Guard Resources?
Rachel Salant, animal behavior specialist at Veterinarians.org, explains that resource guarding likely began as a way for your dog’s distant canine relatives to maintain possession of limited resources.
In the modern day, some dogs may still have the desire to engage in this instinctive behavior. Here are some reasons why.
- Past history: Some dogs may have grown up with limited access to food or were in an environment where they had to compete with many dogs for a bed.
- Reinforcement history: Some dogs might have been reinforced for resource guarding behaviors in the past.
- Breed: “Some breeds have a higher tendency of showing resource guarding, such as German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, Retrievers, and Doodles,” Trott says.
Trott adds that adult dogs tend to display resource guarding behaviors more frequently, since the behavior often escalates over time.
What do dogs usually guard?
A dog might guard anything they consider valuable or “theirs,” such as:
- Food
- Toys
- Treats and chews
- Food and water bowls
- Other dogs
- People
- Beds or crates
- Specific locations
- Things they find (like that garbage on the ground)
How To Reduce Resource Guarding In Your Dog
Some resource guarding is normal and non-problematic, especially toward other dogs in certain situations—like a growl or snarl toward another dog approaching a favorite toy. However, if your dog shows potentially dangerous behaviors, like air snapping or biting, then it’s best to speak to a professional for tailored advice.
Desensitization and counterconditioning
A professional trainer or dog behaviorist can help you explore a combination of desensitization and counterconditioning techniques to help your dog learn that people and other pets who approach their resources don’t pose any threat to their territory or resources.
Repetition is important in these exercises, so aim to set aside 30 minutes each day and repeat each step 25 times.
Once your dog seems pleased to see you approach, move on to the next step. There’s no set timeline for this, so don’t put pressure on yourself—or, more importantly, your dog!
Training your dog to share a food bowl
- Approach an empty food bowl from at least six feet away. Place high-value treats in the bowl, then walk away. In some of your later repetitions, touch or pick up the bowl, then drop treats inside and walk away.
- Approach a food bowl filled with dry kibble from at least six feet away. Drop high-value treats in the bowl, then walk away. In some of your later repetitions, touch or pick up the bowl, drop treats inside, and walk away.
- Approach a food bowl filled with half kibble, half canned food from at least six feet away. Drop high-value treats in the bowl, then walk away. In some of your later repetitions, touch or pick up the bowl, then drop treats inside and walk away.
- Approach a food bowl filled with canned food from at least six feet away. Drop extra special, high-value treats in the bowl, then walk away. In some of your later repetitions, touch or pick up the bowl, then drop treats inside and walk away.
- Approach a food bowl filled with dog-friendly human food, like chicken, from at least six feet away. Drop extra special, high-value treats in the bowl, then walk away. In some of your later repetitions, touch or pick up the bowl, then drop treats inside and walk away.
Training your dog to share a bed or couch
- Pick a piece of furniture your dog doesn’t typically guard and ask them to jump up on it. Immediately ask them to get off the furniture. Then reward them with a high-value treat.
- Ask your dog to get up on other pieces of furniture they don’t typically guard. Then, immediately ask them to get down and reward them with a high-value treat.
- Move to a location your dog has guarded in the past. Ask them to get on the furniture and then immediately get off again, rewarding them after they touch the ground.
- Begin asking your dog to get off the furniture, outside of training sessions. Reward them with plenty of treats and praise when they respond.
Dogs often have a hard time understanding that one rule applies in multiple contexts, with different people, so you’ll want to make sure your dog can reliably follow these steps with everyone in your home.
Important: Avoid letting strangers approach your dog when they’re eating, sleeping, or sitting anywhere they previously showed guarding behavior. When booking a pet sitter, ensure you have these instructions in your care notes.
Can a Vet Help With Resource Guarding?
If your dog suddenly begins resource guarding, talk to your veterinarian to rule out any health problems.
“Some underlying health conditions can increase the chance of a dog displaying food-oriented resource guarding,” says Dr. Corinne Wigfall, veterinary spokesperson for SpiritDog Training.
Diabetes, parasitic diseases, malabsorptive disease, and endocrine disease can increase hunger, and treating these conditions may resolve resource guarding around food, she says. Certain medications, including steroids, can also increase hunger. A dog taking these medications may be more inclined to guard their food.
How do I know my dog’s resource guarding has improved?
“When our dogs are happy to allow us to take things or trade things with us, it’s a good sign,” Trott says.
She cautions, though, that it’s important for pet parents not to slip back into the habit of taking things away abruptly. This may once again spark a need for your dog to protect their belongings and undo the time you spent training.
Instead, you can earn your dog’s trust by trading items and rewarding them for giving up valuable resources, like that baby toy they love but definitely shouldn’t chew.
These steps can help you manage this natural behavior, Trott says, and help your dog feel comfortable sharing their precious resources.
